MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO PRAGUE

Narrator Kate Reading's tone and pacing are perfect for this complex drama spanning the war-torn twentieth century. A delayed train journey in 1927 from Berlin to Prague intertwines the lives of Natalia Faber; her unpredictable mother, Beatriz; journalist Miklós Andorján; and Dr. Magdalena Schaeffer. The stranded strangers begin friendships that last decades, through WWII and its aftermath, withstanding even the cruelest of Nazi atrocities. Reading is a caring, sensitive guide who creates convincing relationships as the story reveals long-buried secrets. She creates real people among the abundance of characters, using believable accents, leading listeners down winding city streets and taking them to country spas, while smoothly navigating characters' vivid, often painful, memories. Reading's performance enhances this historical reflection on an era humanity must never forget. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2020]